Allahn

When last we saw our heroes, they spent their time relaxing and researching various topics at Cal’al’turin. After much discussion the party decides to use the linking book to return to the desert oasis.

Once at the oasis the party has Calastran create a portal to Naomi’s study. Eleanora appears shortly and escorts the party to a sitting room, informing them that Naomi is meeting with another adventuring party, The Band of Ror’sin.

After an hour Naomi joins the party to speak with them. After some witty repartee the party learns that their absence has lasted well over a year, and that it is now winter. Naomi agrees to identify the party’s loot. She also uses the etching from Cal’al’turin to create a ‘portal’ leading there. When completed it becomes apparent that it cannot be used for travel, but that perhaps it can be used in the creation of a linking book.

The party spends some time in the market selling loot, and buying new treasure. A few party members also meet with Cpt. Leonas. He reveals that roaming bands of demons have been harrying the people living in the countryside. Most everyone has relocated to the major population centers creating huge slums outside the walls. It’s not apparent where the origin of the demons is. In an interesting turn of events Zharnton takes the platinum ring depicting the true dragons, and he strikes a bargain with the monks at the main temple agreeing to give the ring gratis. However, he makes it clear that they expect good deals on healing and other services in the future.

After more discussion the party decides to attempt to track down the cult in the homeland of the dwarven women they encountered earlier. After discussing the pro’s and con’s of multiple forms of travel the party decides to ask Naomi to create a portal to Kyrrel for them. The portal opens near an urban center in Kyrrel, and on the other side waits yet another winged slate skin assassin.

The party eagerly rushes through the portal to meet steel with steel. In one of the opening blows Calastran strikes the creature with one of the daggers gained in the first encounter with these assassins. The creature howled with pain (and was immediately bloodied). Another effect was that the creature started to transform. Over the course of the rest of the battle the creature slowly lost all color in its skin and hair. Its wings disappeared, and its eyes turned completely black (like the eyes of the old nightmares). A pair of bastard swords comprised of pure energy also started to take form before the creature. It also reduced in size from a large to a medium creature, and it gained the characteristic pointed ears of the elves. The transformation was not fully completed until the final blow was struck.

Once completed the party was thrown back by a wave of energy. Time seemed to slow for the party. Their minds operated at normal speed, but reality itself seemed to slow. The creature now fully transformed to a LeShay took hold of the bastard swords.

“I bring balance and order to the world. You must all die.” Then he pointed at Calastran. “And you frustrate me at every turn.”

Then he ported to several spots each one accompanied by a clap of thunder. Each one taking him closer to Calastran. He appeared before Calastran, and before anyone in the party could react scissored off his head using the bastard swords. At that moment the LeShay reverted to the foe they had begun fighting, and slumped over dead before beginning to dissipate. Only the dagger was left behind.

Kalros immediately tried to revive him to no avail. Immediately the party began to haul Calastran’s body back through the open portal. There they were met by a grim looking Naomi. Naomi said there was nothing that could be done, but the party decided to bring him to the temple they had visited just hours before.

A monk at the temple took the body and instructed the party to wait until tomorrow for news. Beds were found for them to stay at the temple…

Tavern Aflame

The heroes chose to stay at an inn called the Painted Bird, and a poor choice indeed that turned out to be! Awoken in the middle of the night by drums and the smell of smoke, they swiftly discover that the inn is on fire and fiercely burning. After gathering their meager belongings and heading for the stairs, they hear the groans and screams of old wood under too much stress and with a deafening crash they collapse through the floor and into the common room.

Shaking the dust, grit, and plants off of themselves, the heroes rise to see a small band of hideously scarred and pierced humans waiting with a malicious intent. Their faces and arms are a mass of swirling tattoos and piercings, and they wield wicked looking blades. With battle cries and shouts of rage the two sides collide there in the common room, dealing to the poor in whatever damage the fire may have spared. In the end, the twisted attackers aren’t able to match the skill (or luck) of the party members and all are defeated.

Later on the sun rises over a city dotted with burnt buildings and towers of smoke. A quick chat with the bartender, who somehow survived the night, reveals that the attackers are men called ‘Ravagers’, nasty cannibalistic self-mutilators with a bounty in T’ern. The local militia will pay 100 gold coins for each Ravager killed, though the bartender assures the party that it will be money hard-earned.

During the morning the party meets up with Captain Leonas at the barracks, who had heard of their skill (or, once again, luck) and has conscripted the party to complete various tasks of some import. They will be “paid well”. After agreeing to help, Leonas mentions that during the night several barbarian tribes have formed an army and surrounded the city. All roads are blocked and they have chained the river north and south from the city, effectively cutting off any chance of escape.

In the city of T’ern, our heroes were each ambushed alone and attacked by strange-looking humanoids with stone-colored skin. Upon being defeated, each of these strange men vanished into nothingness leaving behind only a strange dagger, pulsing softly with a magical energy. The party somehow realizes that these daggers are connected in some way, as are they now.